Jamey Aebersold was born July 21, 1939, in New Albany, Indiana. He attended college at Indiana University and graduated in 1962 with a Masters Degree in Saxophone. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by Indiana University in 1992. He also plays piano, bass and banjo.

In 1989, the International Association of Jazz Educators inducted Jamey into their Hall of Fame at the San Diego convention. With this award, Jamey joins other jazz luminaries such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and others.

Jamey is a internationally-known saxophonist and authority on jazz education and improvisation, and has developed a series of Jazz Play-A-Longs (book and cd sets (now numbering almost 130 volumes) as well as various other supplemental aids for the development of improvisational skills. The Aebersold book and recording sets allow a musician the opportunity to practice and improvise with well-known jazz personalities at home as well as in the classroom. The recordings employ some of the best jazz musicians in the world. This concept has been responsible for changing the practice habits of thousands of musicians around the world.

In 2007, Jamey was awarded the Indiana Governor's Arts Award by Mitch Daniels, the Governor of Indiana.

In December 2004, the Jazz Midwest Clinic bestowed upon Jamey the "Medal of Honor" in Jazz Education.

In 2014, Jamey was awarded The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Award, the nation's highest honor in jazz. Jamey Aebersold is the recipient of the 2014 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy, which is bestowed upon an individual who has contributed significantly to the appreciation, knowledge, and advancement of the art form of jazz.

Jamey has been a driving force in America's native art form, Jazz, and continues to kindle the fires of musical imagination in those with whom he comes in contact.

Mini episodes aim to clarify and catalog one idea or principle that can be helpful to those of us who manage our own creative careers. This episode features a story from Composer David Friedman(The Today Show, Desperate Measures, We Can Be Kind) about asking for what you want. To hear more from David, listen to episodes 30 and 31.

David Friedman, composer of the award-winning hit musical, Desperate Measures, (Drama Desk for Music and Lyrics/Outer Critics and Off Broadway Alliance Awards for Best Musical) is one of this country's most beloved songwriters, best known for writing songs that touch our hearts and speak to our souls. He has written songs for everyone from Disney to Diana Ross, produced all of the late/great Nancy LaMott’s CD’s and wrote many of her best known songs, (Listen To My Heart/We Can Be Kind/We Live on Borrowed Time/I’ll Be Here With You/Just in Time For Christmas), conducted and vocal arranged 6 musicals on Broadway and numerous Disney Animated Films (including Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) wrote songs for The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Bambi II and Trick, scored 3 television series, performed his revue Listen To My Heart – The Songs of David Friedman to audiences Off Broadway, all over America and abroad, and is currently in his 10th year of co-writing (with Kathie Lee Gifford) and performing a song-a-month for the Today Show’s Everyone Has a Story Segment. (This month will be his hundredth song.) In addition to Desperate Measures, David has written 4 other musicals with Peter Kellogg: Chasing Nicolette played to rave reviews at The Westport Country Playhouse, the Prince theater in Philadelphia (where David was awarded the Barrymore Award for best score) and Village Theatre in Seattle, and recently had a backer’s presentation in New York with John Rando directing; Stunt Girl, about the life of Nellie Bly, the first woman investigative reporter in New York and the first woman to run a major corporation, was seen in a critically acclaimed production at the Village Theater in Seattle, which was followed by a staged reading at Manhattan Theatre Club in New York. (After seeing this reading, Gloria Steinem called it, “Altogether, the strongest female story I've ever seen on Broadway -- or pretty much anywhere”); Money Talks, a four-character musical that follows the path of a $100 bill as it passes from person to person, with Benjamin Franklin playing the $100 bill, was presented at the Davenport Theatre last year; and Lincoln in Love, a musical about Abe Lincoln’s early years, was presented at Goodspeed. David’s Christmas Oratorio, King Island Christmas, written with Deborah Brevoort, has had over 50 productions around the world. David is also a best-selling author with 5 books including We Can Be Kind - Healing Our World One Kindness at a Time, based on his song of the same name. (Currently in its Fifth printing.) His three books on his Metaphysical Method, The Thought Exchange, explore how to not only choose the thoughts we wish to hold, but how to stay with them and see them manifest in our lives. He is a sought after speaker, lecturer and teacher around the country. For more information, go to www.MIDDERMusic.com.

Lipbone Redding is an award-winning vocalist, guitar player, voice-strumentalist, storyteller, songwriter, author, teacher and traveler. He is best known for his one-man orchestra show; simultaneously playing, singing and making the instrument sounds with his mouth and without the use of a loop pedal. Lipbone incorporates a full spectrum of musical styles from American Roots and Jazz to throat singing and Indian Classical. Origins A free-range child, native to the swamps, farmlands and beach towns of coastal North Carolina, Lawrence “Lipbone” Redding cites his mama’s Soul, Boogie, Blues and Disco records as early stylistic origins. As a young man he became interested in Art, Opera, Books and Theater and often dreamt of travel to exotic places. At 21 years old, no longer able to be contained by a small town, Lipbone escaped to New York City and discovered Improvisation, Comedy, Jazz, Modern Art, Dance and Performance Art. Lipbone’s decade at the cultural crossroads sparked his curiosity and paved the way for future influences from around the globe. New York became a launching pad for what was to become a lifetime of travel and collaboration with artists and audiences alike. After a brief stint as an actor, carpenter, bartender and producer for the Museum of Sound Recording, Lawrence Redding accidentally became a NYC subway musician and adopted the name “Lipbone.” He made “funny” sounds while playing guitar. Curious folks would often ask, “what do you call that sound?” He would tell them, “It’s my Lip Trombone!…My Lipbone!” Hence the name. It was there in the underground caverns that Lipbone Redding experienced artistic redemption, and honed the skills that eventually allowed him to travel and make a living wherever life took him: India, Europe, South America, New Orleans, San Francisco, and points between. “Music is like pollen that drifts through the air and becomes a seed in the imagination. Music is a carrier wave for revolution. With music, I speak with friends who I have never met. We tell each other, ‘Everything is alright. You are not alone.’” - LB Traveling the world making friends and music, Lipbone spends most nights on the road in his small RV, “The Beautiful Flying Machine.” Outfitted with solar panels, a kitchen and comfortable living area, he boasts waking up to some of the most stunning views on planet Earth. From his mobile headquarters, Lipbone makes art, writes songs, records music, perfects his vegan recipes, interviews fascinating strangers for his podcast, and shares photos and video of nature’s beauty.

Recently Lipbone’s live show was featured on PBS, On Tour with Lipbone Redding. The program has been seen by viewers nationwide. Most recently, Lipbone has released a digital album on his own label, Beautiful Flying Records entitled Return Of The Beautiful, co-produced by Mashti (Mads Nordheim). The two have collaborated on an earlier record entitled Runaway Snail, recorded in Goa, India. Both albums are available in digital format from www.LIPBONE.com, on Spotify and iTunes. With the decline of CDs and physical music merchandise, Lipbone has taken a new tact. Already making art and writing on a daily basis, he has been making small runs art booklets with full album Part of his DIY aesthetic, the physical objects that accompany the albums are a thought provoking collection of art, stories and lyrics.

Dwayne Cooper is from Florence, SC and currently lives in NYC. He began singing in a Christian a cappella group called “The Cunningham Singers”. Often referred as a modern day Sammy Davis Jr. meets Barry White, he is what the industry calls a “triple threat” and has performed in the Broadway casts of MOTOWN, HAIRSPRAY, several National tours and most recently the NY Revival of Smokey Joe's Cafe. He is also one of the founding members of THE DOO WOP PROJECT, a ten piece band that travels around the US performing Doo Wop music. As a songwriter/producer, he has charted #7 on Billboard’s Top Ten (Dance) and as a sketch comedy writer, his personal YouTube videos have been seen by over 1,000,000 people.

Originally from North Carolina, Jeffrey Lee Campbell was raised on a steady diet of rock 'n' roll, soul, and Top 40 music. Playing his first PAYING gig at age 13, Jeffrey is a lifer.

Jeffrey picked up the guitar at the tender age of 8, spending his formative years gigging in bands “anywhere and everywhere” (school dances, frat parties, night clubs, etc). After graduating high school, Jeffrey was accepted into the prestigious "Studio Music and Jazz" program at the University of Miami.

Ultimately chasing his dream North, Jeffrey Lee relocated to New York City and quickly established himself as one of the city's top musicians. His performance experiences range from iconic intimate venues such as CBGB, The Bottom Line, The Bitter End, MTV and NBC’s Saturday Night Live . . . to huge concert stages including NYC's Madison Square Garden, London's Wembley Stadium, and Japan's Tokyo Dome.

Jeffrey Lee strummed his way around the world on Sting’s "Nothing Like the Sun" World Tour ("blazing guitar work" - Rolling Stone, "soaring guitar" - USA Today), proudly sharing the stage with musical heavyweights Branford Marsalis, Mino Cinelu, and Kenny Kirkland in twenty-five countriesacross six different continents.

In addition to Sting’s World Tour, Jeffrey Lee was also a part of Amnesty International's "Human Rights Now!" World Tour (featuring Sting, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman, and Youssou N'Dour). Playing 20 concerts worldwide (including extraordinary shows in Africa and India), the Amnesty tour was truly a once in a lifetime experience. One of Jeffrey's top Amnesty highlights was sitting in with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Bandat the tour's concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Back at home in NYC, Jeffrey Lee had the extreme pleasure of playing guitar with Aretha Franklin (for "VH-1 Divas Live" - an all-star tribute to the Queen of Soul at Radio City Music Hall). The "Divas" concert climaxed with a finale that found Jeffrey jamming with Ms. Franklin, Mary J Blige, Nelly Furtado and surprise special guest Mr. Stevie Wonder. Other performance credits include Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Bublé, Bob James, and singer/songwriter Sam Phillips.

As a studio musician, Jeffrey has worked with some of the industry's top producers such as T Bone Burnett, Phil Ramone, Rob Cavallo, and David Foster —as well as legendary engineers Bob Clearmountain and Elliot Scheiner. Jeffrey has recorded at The Record Plant, Hit Factory, Avatar (aka The Power Station), Quad, Unique, Sear . . .and many more.

One of my most interesting experiences in music has to be the time I toured with the band of a spiritual teacher(read: cult leader.) I was the only one in the band who was not a devotee of his. Well, about 10 years later, this teachers community dissolved amidst scandal. For the first time since then I talked to his 2nd in command who was the guitarist in the band. I finally got some answers about what was going on behind the scenes. This guitarist, Stas Mavrides, also happens to have had a very colorful career in the music business. He has toured with the Beach Boys, recorded several award winning albums, and has a new album out with his band Baraka Moon.

Part 1 was a conversation between me and Stas about our experiences making music with this guru. Part 2 is about Stas's path in music and in spirituality.

Stas's group Baraka Moon:

BARAKA MOON delivers pulsing, soulful and spiritually charged dance music with a positive message of peace for the whole world! Uniting influences from mystical Sufi trance songs, Indian ragas, African beats & the Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo Baraka Moon is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The release date for Baraka Moon's new album, Wind Horse, is October 6th, 2017.

One of my most interesting experiences in music has to be the time I toured with the band of a spiritual teacher(read: cult leader.) I was the only one in the band who was not a devotee of his. Well, about 10 years later, this teachers community dissolved amidst scandal. For the first time since then I talked to his 2nd in command who was the guitarist in the band. I finally got some answers about what was going on behind the scenes. This guitarist, Stas Mavrides, also happens to have had a very colorful career in the music business. He has toured with the Beach Boys, recorded several award winning albums, and has a new album out with his band Baraka Moon.

This episode is a conversation between me and Stas about our experiences making music with this guru. The next episode will be about Stas's path in music and in spirituality.

Stan's group Baraka Moon:

BARAKA MOON delivers pulsing, soulful and spiritually charged dance music with a positive message of peace for the whole world! Uniting influences from mystical Sufi trance songs, Indian ragas, African beats & the Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo Baraka Moon is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The release date for Baraka Moon's new album, Wind Horse, is October 6th, 2017.

One of my most interesting experiences in music has to be the time I toured with the band of a spiritual teacher(read: cult leader.) I was the only one in the band who was not a devotee of his. Well, about 10 years later, this teachers community dissolved amidst scandal. For the first time since then I talked to his 2nd in command who was the guitarist in the band. I finally got some answers about what was going on behind the scenes. This guitarist, Stas Mavrides, also happens to have had a very colorful career in the music business. He has toured with the Beach Boys, recorded several award winning albums, and has a new album out with his band Baraka Moon.

This episode is a conversation between me and Stas about our experiences making music with this guru. The next episode will be about Stas's path in music and in spirituality.

Stan's group Baraka Moon:

BARAKA MOON delivers pulsing, soulful and spiritually charged dance music with a positive message of peace for the whole world! Uniting influences from mystical Sufi trance songs, Indian ragas, African beats & the Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo Baraka Moon is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The release date for Baraka Moon's new album, Wind Horse, is October 6th, 2017.

As musicians we are always meeting and working with new people in new places. For this episode I asked several working musicians about their worst experience in the music business - how they dealt with it, what red flags there were going into it, and how they would advise someone else to prepare for and navigate through these types of experiences. Episode 24 features a story by musician/producer Travis LaMothe

Travis La Mothe Bio:

With first club gigs starting at the age of 15, Travis has been actively performing for 23 years. Studies with Frank Giguere, Casey Scheurell, and Steve Wilkes, allowed a quick evolution in Travis’ skill set. Amassing performances in percussion ensembles under the direction of Sal Raniello (Hartford Symphony Orchestra,) live performance became a place to thrive in all genres.

Attempting to live up to his influences and working at creating his own, Travis spent six years touring with New England regional act Rane (Tides Records), opening for numerous national acts including the Barenaked Ladies, Ozomatli, Santana, and Tom Petty and playing almost every room in New England. After multiple albums and recording credits with the group, Travis left to pursue other musical worlds.

After winning the 2006 Hartford Advocate's “Best Drummer” award, Travis went on to play with several Advocate-acknowledged bands including The Bill Carleton Band, and Jet Black Jane. A jaunt into the jazz world helped Travis to see a different side of performance after spending 2 years as a member of the house band for WOR radio in Manhattan. He also joined Hank Agency artists “Jimmy and the Hat Tricks” for a 3-year stint in general business music. He was called to play with The Last Goodnight (Virgin Records), and subbed several gigs with Girls Guns and Glory (Lonesome Day Records) as well. All of this while maintaining 10-20 private students for the duration.

The pursuit is endless, and Travis currently plays pick up gigs throughout New England with many talented groups. He has also begun establishing himself in the production world. After opening his small studio “Sunderland Sounds” in Sunderland MA, Travis has already cut a few spots that you’ve likely heard on the radio…